Removable composition with polymer microspheres

Abstract

A composition comprising a suspension polymerization product of a mixture of monomers of ethyl hexyl acrylate (EHA) and ethyl methacrylate (EMA) is described. Further, a composition comprising a suspension polymerization product of polar monomers that can be copolymerized with at least one of (meth)acrylic acid esters of alcohols having 4-14 carbon atoms and (meth)acrylic acid esters of alcohols having 1-3 carbon atoms is described.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A chewing gum base composition comprising:
 a rubber component; and 
 polymer microspheres formed via suspension polymerization including: 
 (i) from about 60 wt % to about 100 wt % of (meth)acrylic acid esters of alcohols having 4-14 carbon atoms; 
 (ii) from about 0 wt % to about 40 wt % of (meth)acrylic acid esters of alcohols having 1-3 carbon atoms; and 
 (iii) from about 0 wt % to about 20 wt % of polar monomers that are copolymerizable with at least one of (i) and (ii), the polar monomer being selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylic acid, (meth)acrylamide, hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylates, hydroxypropyl (meth)acrylates, di-,tri-,tetra-,and polyethylene glycol (meth)acrylates, di-,tri-,tetra-,and polypropylene glycol (meth)acrylates, (meth)acrylates of copolymers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol,N,N-dialkylacrylamide, N-vinylpyrrolidone, and combinations thereof; and 
 wherein the polymer microspheres are in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 45 wt % based upon the total weight of the chewing gum base composition, wherein the polymer microspheres have particle sizes in the range of from about 5 microns to about 130 microns, and wherein the composition has a solids content from about 20 to about 55 percent by weight. 
 
     
     
       2. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the (meth)acrylic acid ester of an alcohol having from 4-14 carbon atoms is selected from the group consisting of ethyl hexyl acrylate (EHA), butyl acrylate (BA), isooctyl acrylate (IOA), lauryl acrylate, isobornyl acrylate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       3. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the (meth)acrylic acid ester of an alcohol having from 1-3 carbon atoms is selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate (MA), ethyl acrylate (EA), propyl acrylate (PA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), ethyl methacrylate (EMA), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       4. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gel content of the polymer microspheres as a measure of insoluble fraction in tetrahydrofuran (THF) or ethylacetate is from about 30 wt % to about 80 wt %. 
     
     
       5. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the rubber is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       6. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer microspheres are in an amount of from about 5 wt % to about 40 wt % based upon the total weight of the chewing gum base composition. 
     
     
       7. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer microspheres further include from about 0 wt % to about 30 wt % of macromonomers, the macromonomers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide (PEO) acrylate, acrylated ethylene butylenes, and acrylated polystyrene. 
     
     
       8. The chewing gum base composition of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of element (ii) is at least a trace amount. 
     
     
       9. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the (meth)acrylic acid ester of an alcohol having from 4-14 carbon atoms is lauryl acrylate. 
     
     
       10. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the (meth)acrylic acid ester of an alcohol having from 4-14 carbon atoms is isobornyl acrylate.